The No. 27 Arizona women’s tennis team will head to the University of North Carolina to take on Minnesota in the NCAA Regional Championships on May 11.
Unlike the Pac-12 Championships, the NCAA Regional Championships is a team event. This means the top 64 teams throughout the country will compete for a spot in the NCAA National Championships in Athens, Ga., later this month.
The usual lineup will play in the regional tournament – including senior Natasha Marks and sophomore Lacey Smyth teaming up for doubles on court one, freshman Hailey Johnson teaming up with senior Sarah Landsman on court two, and sophomores Kim Stubbe and Susan Mc Rann playing on court three.
It’s crucial that the Wildcats win the doubles point, because then they will only need to win three consecutive singles matches to advance.
The sensational six of Smyth, Marks, Landsman, Stubbe, McRann and Oldham will be Arizona’s defense for singles play in the tournament.
According to head coach Vicky Maes, the team relied on the top four players to pull out last minute wins for the team, but now the five and six positions have stepped up to contribute to the Wildcats domination in the last two weeks of the regular season.
The team went a winless 0-7 on the road this season.
With two weeks to prepare, the team will hit the courts hard to try to incorporate its tenacity at home for the ultimate goal: the NCAA Regional Championships.
“Our goal is to at least advance to the round of 16,” Marks said. “Getting to that point will be a major accomplishment for us and will boost our confidence as a team.”